The San Saba news. [volume] (San Saba, Tex.) 1873-1966, 1887-07-29
REV. DR.. TALMAGE.
THE BROOKLYN DIVINE's SUM-
DAY SERMON.
Subject: THE Tempest. "

] luxuriance, the surrounding hills high, ter
raced, sloped, grOved, so many hanging gar
/ derls Of beauty the waters rumbling cow
between rocks Of gray and red limestone,
| flashing from the hills and bounding into the
SCI On the shore were castles, armed towers
/ Roman baths, everything attractive; al
! styles Of vegetation in shorter space than IL
I almost any other space in all the world, from
4 the palmtree of the tropics to the trees OF
/ rigorous climate.
1t seemed as if the Lord had launched one
I wave Of beauty on all the scene, and it hung
/ and swung from rock and hill and oleander.
/ Roman gentlemen In pleasure boats sailing
/ the lake, and the eountrymen in ttsh-smacks
coming down TO drop their nets pass eRct
other with nod and shout and. laughter, OF
swinging idly at their mo0T1ngs. Oh, what O
wonderful, what an enchanting lake,
1t seems as If We shall have a quiet night
| Not leaf winked in the air; not a ripple
wrinkled the face OF Gennesaret; but there
seems to be a little excitement up the beach
and We hasten to SEE what 1t is and we find il
en- emharkation.
From the western shore fotilla pushing
cut not 4 squadron of deadly armament, nor
a clipper with valuable merchandise, nor
piratic vessels ready to destroy everything
they could seize: but a fiofilla bearing
messengers of life, and light, and peace
Christ Is in the front boat. Many of Hi,
disciples are following in smaller boats. Jesus,
weary with much speaking to large multi
tudes, Is put into sOmnolence by the rocking
Of the wavee, If there was any motion at
all the ship was easily right.ad. if
the wind passed from starboard to
larboard. or from larboard 10 starboard. tbs
boat would rock, and by the gentleness OF the
motion putting the Master asleep. And they
exteinpo' lied a pillow made out of fisher
mans coat | think no sooner is Christ pros
traie, and His head touches the pillow, than
l.. Is a ~
run their fingers through the locks of the
worn sleeper, and the boat rises and falls like
a sleeping child on the bosom Of q sleeping
mother
Calm night, starry night, beautiful night.
Run up all the sails, ply all the oars, and let
the large boat and the smaller boats glide
over the gentle Genneslret But the sailors
say there IS going TO be a change of weather.
And even the passengers can hear the moan
ing OF the storm, as it comes on with great
stride, and all the terrors of hurricane and
darkness. The large boat trembles like d
deer al bay among the clangor of the hounds;
great patches Of foam are flung into the air;
the sails of the vessel loosen, and fapped bv
the wind crack like pistols: the smaller boats
like petrels, poise on the cliff of the waves and
then plunge.
Overheard 60 cargo, tackling, and masts,
and the drenched disciples, rush into the back
part Of the boat, and lay hold of Christ. and
say Unto him; Master, carest Thou not that
We perishi' That great parsonage lifts His
head from the pillow Of the iisherInan's coat,
walks to the front of the vessel. and looks
out into the storm. All around Him are the
smaller bofts, driven in the tempest, and
through It comes the cry of drowning men.
By the fash of the Lightning | see the calm
brow Of Christ as the spray dropped from his
beard He has one word for the sky and sti-
other Cor the waves, Looking upward He
cries: Peace" Looking downward He says:
BE still
The waves fall fat on their faces. the foam
melts, the extinguished stars re-light their
torches. The tempest falls dead, and Christ
stand with His right foot on the neck of the
Storm And while the sailors are bailing out
the boats. and while they are trying 10 I'M
tangle the cordage, the disciples stand in
amazement, now looking into the calm sea,
then into the calm sky. then into the calm
Savieur's eounienance, and they cry out:
' What manner of man IS this, that even the
winds and the sea obey Hing
The subject in the first place impre ses me
with the fact that 1t Is very important to
have Christ in the ship; for all those boats
would have gone 10 the bottom of Gennesaret
If Christ hcd rot been present. Oh. what a
lesson for YOU and for me to Learnt We must
always have Christ in the ship Whatever
voyage we undertake. into whatever enter.
prise We start, let us always have Christ in
the ship. Many of you in these days of
revived commerce are starting out in new
financial enterprises. bid You good cheer.
Do all you can do Do it on as high plane as
possible You have no right to be
stqser- IN the ship If you can be an
admiral Of the navy. You hive
no right to be a colonel OF regiment if you
can command a brigade; you have no right
TO be engineer of a boat on the North River,
or near the coast, if you can take the ocean
Steamer from New York TO Liverpool. All
you can do with Utmost tension of body,
mind, and soul, you are bound to do. but OH
have Christ in every enterprise, Christ in
every voyage, Christ in every ship.
There are men here who asked God to help
them at the start of great enterprises He
has been with them in the past; no trouble
can overthrow them; the storms might come
down from the top of Mount HerIAon, and
lash Gennesaret into foam and into agony,
but it could not hnrt them.
Tut here is another man who starts out in
worldly enterprise, AM he depends upon the
uncertainties 81 this life. He has 10 Cod to
hep him After HE ftc storm, Comes
ana tosses on the masts OF the ship; he puts
out his lifeboat and the long boat. the
sheriff and the auctioneer try to help him Off:
they can't help him off; he must go down; no
Christ in the ship. Here are young men lust
starting out IN lie. Your life will be made
up of sunshine and shadow There may be
IL it arctic blasts. Or tropical toruadoes; |
know not what is before Won, but | know IL
you have Christ-,Iith YOU all shall he we'll.
Yot: tftay seens,sp get along without the
religion of Christ while everything goes
smoothly, but after a while, when sorrow
hovers feyer the soul, when the waves of trial
dash ele>s- over the hurricane deck, and the
decks are crowded with piratical disasters;
oh, what would You do then without Christ
in the ship Young man, take God for your
portion, God for your guide, God for your
help; then all is well; ell is well for time;
all shall be well forever. Blessed Is that man
who puts in the Lord his trust. He shall
never be cOnfounded.
But my subject also impresses me with the
fact that when people start to follow Christ
they must not expect smooth sailing
these disciples got into the small boats, and
have no doubt they said: what beauti-
full day this Isl What smooth sea, What
bright sky this is! How delightful
Is sailing this boat and as for the
they only make tine motion of our little boat
the more delightful But when the winds
swept down, and the sea was tossed into
wrath. then they found that following Christ
was not smooth sailing So you have found
it; so / have found it. Did you ever notice
the end OF the life of the apostles of Jesus
Christi You would say. if ever men ought
70 have had smooth lie, a smooth depart
ure. then those men, the disciples of Jesus
CHRIST, ought to have had such a departure
and such a life.
St James lost his head. st. Philip was
hung on pillar. St Matthew had bis life
dashed out with a halbert. st. Mark was
dragged 20 death through the streets st.
james the Less was beaten TO death with
fullers club st. Thomas was struck through
with spear. They did not find following
Christ smooth sailing. Oh, how they were
all tossed in the tempestl John Huss in the
fire. Hugh McKail in the hour of martyr
dom, the AlbiSenses, the Waldenses, the
Scotch Coyenanters-did they find it smooth
sailingi
But why go to history when | can come
into this audience to-day and find a score OF
Of the truth of this subject That
young man IN the store trying to serve do1,
while his employer scoffs at Christianity, TIE
young men in the same store, antagonistlc TO
the Christian religion. teasing him, torment
ing him about his religion, trying TO get MN
mad They succeed in getting him mad say
Ing: You're pretty Christian, Does TINS
young man find It smooth sailing when he
tries to follow Christ. Here is a Christian girl
Her father despises the Christian religion
her mother despises the Christian reilg,on'
her brothers and sisters scott at the Christian
religion; she can hardly find a quiet place IN
which TO say her prayers. Did she rnd NJ
smooth sailing when she tried 10 follow Jesus
Christ! Oh, no, all who would live the NE
If tho Christian raligion must suffer persecu-